Volunteer tutoring supports disadvantaged pupils in Putne

Granard Primary School in Putney recently welcomed Fleur Anderson, MP for Putney, to see its partnership with Action Tutoring in action—a programme focused on supporting pupils in maths and reading.

During her visit, MP Anderson observed a live tutoring session, spoke with volunteer tutors, and answered questions from pupils.

MP Fleur Anderson engaging directly with Year 6 pupils during interactive maths and reading activities (Image: Action Tutoring)

MP Anderson said: "It was inspiring to visit Granard Primary School and see the fantastic work being done by Action Tutoring. The dedication of the volunteer tutors and the enthusiasm of the pupils is wonderful to witness.

"Initiatives like this are vital to closing the attainment gap and ensuring that every child, regardless of their background, is given the support they need to succeed and avoid falling out of education or employment."

Action Tutoring is an award-winning charity that works with state schools across London and the UK to provide targeted tutoring for pupils facing socio-economic disadvantage.

The charity relies on a network of volunteers, who deliver weekly sessions in maths or English, either in person or online.

Andy Wheeler, deputy headteacher at Granard Primary School, said: "The Action Tutoring programme gives the children a chance to work intensively with an adult, building their vocabulary and responding to personalised questions directly. This gives them an experience they don't get in whole class teaching and is something we value highly.

"It's always difficult to tell how much one intervention impacts, but Action Tutoring is clearly a contributory factor to our success. Typically in maths, our pupils facing disadvantage score 26 percentage points higher compared to disadvantaged pupils nationally."

Despite the efforts of schools, educational inequality remains a challenge.

In Wandsworth, just 66 per cent of disadvantaged pupils met the expected standard in their SATs, compared to 87 per cent of those not known to be disadvantaged.

Sarah Pearson, interim CEO of Action Tutoring, said: "Too often, pupils who most need a little bit of extra help are the last to have the opportunity of this kind of tutoring. We know it is one of the most effective ways to catch pupils up so it was great that their local MP was able to see first hand the difference our volunteers make for pupils at Granard Primary."

The charity’s volunteers range in age from 18 to 84 and come from a variety of backgrounds. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer tutor can find out more at www.actiontutoring.org.uk.